What is Jamaican steel drum music?
Jamaican steel drums play the background soundtrack of easy-living in the Caribbean. Their tropical, upbeat tunes send out an optimistic call to leave worries aside and enjoy the simple things in life. Should you ever holiday on one of the exotic islands in the Caribbean, you will hear Jamaican steel drum music day-and-night.
What is the Jamaican drum with the hands called?
Gumbeh (Goombay) The Gumbeh is a single-sided square Jamaican drum on legs, used mainly by the Maroons. It is built with a smaller drum hidden inside (called "The Inner Baby"). The Gumbeh is played with the hands.
What is the name of the steel drum?
Steelpans (also known as steel pans, steel drums or pans, and sometimes, collectively with other musicians, as a steel band or orchestra) is a musical instrument originating from Trinidad and Tobago. Click to see full answer. Simply so, what does the steel drum sound like?
What kind of drums do they play in the Caribbean?
These drums are found widely throughout the Caribbean. The Djembe (prounounced "jimbeh") is shaped like a goblet, is single-headed, and comes in different sizes. Bongo drums are played in pairs, held between the knees. Conga drums are tall cylindrical drums, open at one end.
What are Caribbean metal drums called?
Steelpans (also known as steel pans, steel drums or pans, and sometimes, collectively with other musicians, as a steel band or orchestra) is a musical instrument originating from Trinidad and Tobago.
What are the 4 main types of steel drums?
2. Types of steel percussion drumsTenor.Double tenor.Double second.Guitar steel drum.Cello steel drum.Bass.
Does Jamaica use steel drums?
They also have their folk music which is played using many instruments including percussion instruments. ... The steel drum is a percussion instrument used in Jamaica.20-Sept-2021
What is a calypso drum?
The Calypso drum is both visually and harmonically reminiscent of island steel drums of the Caribbean, and inspires joy and the urge to dance whenever it is played. Constructed from 13 gauge stainless steel, the most robust in market, the Calypso featured tab limiters, unique in the outdoor market.
What does a timpani drum look like?
A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. ... They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet.
What is double second steel drum?
Double Seconds are comprised of two barrels and are in a lower range than lead pans. They are more effective playing harmony while still being high pitched enough to be a melody instrument. The lowest note is about a half octave below middle C and the instrument has a range of about 2 & 1/2 octaves chromatic.
What are Jamaican instruments?
These are some of the instruments you may run into if you're visiting an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean.Buleador. One of the most recognizable drums in the Caribbean is the buleador. ... Steel Drums. ... Maracas. ... Guitar. ... Guiro. ... Palitos.05-Jan-2018
What instrument do they use in Jamaica?
By the way, particularly in our traditional mento music, the Banjo, Guitar, Marimba or Rhumba box (seen above), and double bass percussion instruments such as triangles, pieces of iron, empty sardine cans, as well as forks and graters are also used - even today!
What is Jamaica rum?
Jamaican rum, which is considered full-bodied, is molasses fermented in large casks called "puncheons" and distilled in pot stills, a practice that dates back to the 17th Century. ... When flavor is added, like in the case of coconut rum, it is called “Flavored Rum” on the bottle, and the coconut flavor is all-natural.06-Jul-2019
What is used to make a steelpan?
Empty 55 gallon drums (17 or 18-gauge steel) are used to make steel pans. First, the top of the drum is stretched to create enough space for the notes. A sledge hammer (with a sawed off handle) is used to stretch the metal into a concave shape.
Who created the steelpan?
Trinidad and TobagoThe steel pan is the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago. Made from discarded oil drums, it is the only musical instrument invented in the 20th century....DNNGo.DNNGalleryPro.STEEL PAN or other InstrumentTONAL RANGEFrontline PansLow Tenor Steel Pan28 to 30 notes Tonal range: C4 and G615 more rows•06-Mar-2018
What does the steelpan sound like?
The shape of the steel pan sound is somewhat like that of a banjo, but with more body, decay and fullness. Good steel pan tone has what can be described as a broader sound than most other instruments -full yet shimmering with an edginess that excites and a sustain that soothes.
Who invented the steel drum?
People such as Ellie Mannette, Winston “Spree” Simon, and Tony Williams are credited as pioneers of the steel drum, creating the 12 notes of the chromatic scale on a single pan. When Carnival celebrations resumed in Trinidad after World War II, the steel pan became an important part of the street festival.
Where did the steel pan originate?
Steelpans (also known as steel pans, steel drums or pans, and sometimes, collectively with other musicians, as a steel band or orchestra) is a musical instrument originating from Trinidad and Tobago.
What does a steel pan sound like?
The shape of the steel pan sound is somewhat like that of a banjo, but with more body, decay and fullness. Good steel pan tone has what can be described as a broader sound than most other instruments -full yet shimmering with an edginess that excites and a sustain that soothes.
What Are Jamaican Steel Drums?
Jamaican steel drums, also called steel pans or Caribbean drums, is a type of percussion instrument. Percussion instruments are those that produce sounds by being hit or scraped.
Are Steel Drums From Jamaica?
No. Contrary to the belief of many Jamaicans, the steel drums, even though used here frequently, were not created by Jamaicans. The steel drums originated in the neighbouring Caribbean island of Trinidad.
Does Reggae Music Use Jamaican Steel Drums?
Yes! After Steel drum music began to spread across the Caribbean islands from Trinidad, Jamaican musicians started incorporating it in Reggae and Ska music.
What Does The Steelpan Sound Like?
It is probably difficult for a non-musician to describe the sound of a steel pan, yet the sound is so distinctive and unique that it can’t be confused with any other instrument. It can be quite contradicting to describe the sound of a steel pan.
What Does A Steel Pan Look Like?
Steel pans or steel drums resemble large deep frying pans or could be described as being similar to Chinese wok. The original steel pans were made from 55-gallon metallic barrels that were used to carry oil. They are sometimes referred to as drums.
What Are The Types Of Steel Drums?
There are a few different types of steel drums, the design of each is what determines the sounds that come from them.
Why was the Jamaican drum used?
The drum was used by the slaves to communicate in ways the whites could not understand, and so could be used to incite unrest and cause revolt. But no amount of prohibition could permanently silence the sound of the Jamaican drum. Drumming played a vital part in the slaves' recreation, in their worship, in their celebrations.
What is a Gumbeh drum?
Gumbeh (Goombay) The Gumbeh is a single-sided square Jamaican drum on legs, used mainly by the Maroons. It is built with a smaller drum hidden inside (called "The Inner Baby"). The Gumbeh is played with the hands. The Maroons also use Bass and Repeater drums - their repeater is round, and is played with sticks.
What is the name of the drum used in Rastafarian music?
Buru has had a great influence on Rastafarian nyabinghi drumming, in which the three drums are collectively known as The Harp. The Bass drum (also called "Thunder") is a double-headed drum, played with a padded stick. It underpins the music with a steady, regular stroke on the 1st and 3rd beat.
Why was drumming banned in Jamaica?
During slavery, drumming was often banned because the whites were irked by the "heathen" sound of the drum, and feared its power. The drum was used by the slaves to communicate in ways the whites could not understand, and so could be used to incite unrest ...
Why do slaves use drums?
When necessary, drums would be dismantled after use to avoid detection by the authorities. Popular music in Jamaica today often uses the traditional Jamaican drum alongside American style drum kits and computerised drum machines.
How are drums consecrated?
Newly made drums are consecrated by rubbing rum (and sometimes sugar water) into the drum skin. Drummers sit astride the drums, and use their heels (well as fingers and hands) to change the pitch and tone of the drums.
What is the difference between a congas and a bongo drum?
Bongo drums are played in pairs, held between the knees. Conga drums are tall cylindrical drums, open at one end. All are played with the hands. Congas are sometimes played in twos or threes, with sticks. The Jamaican drum has come a long way in terms of being accepted by society .
What were the first steelpan instruments?
The first instruments developed in the evolution of steelpan were tamboo bamboos, tunable sticks made of bamboo wood. These were hit onto the ground and with other sticks in order to produce sound. Tamboo bamboo bands included percussion of a (gin) bottle and spoon. By the mid-1930s, bits of metal percussion were being used in the tamboo bamboo bands, the first probably being either the automobile brake hub "iron" or the biscuit drum "boom". The former replaced the gin bottle-and-spoon, and the latter the "bass" bamboo that was pounded on the ground. By the late 1930s their occasional all-steel bands were seen at carnival, and by 1940 it had become the preferred carnival accompaniment of young underprivileged men. The 55-gallon oil drum was used to make steelpans from around 1947. The Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra (TASPO), formed to attend the Festival of Britain in 1951, was the first steelband whose instruments were all made from oil drums. Members of TASPO included Ellie Mannette and Winston "Spree" Simon. Hugh Borde led the National Steel Band of Trinidad & Tobago at the Commonwealth Arts Festival in England, as well as the Esso Tripoli Steel Band, which played at the World's Fair in Montreal, Canada, and later toured with Liberace. They were featured on an album with him.
What was the role of the pannists in the popularization of steelpan music?
The pannists, who were associated with lawlessness and violence, helped to popularize steelpan music among the soldiers, which began its international popularization. Steelpan playing was strictly a male activity until the late 1970s/early 1980s. It was not seen as an appropriate activity for women.
Why is my steelpan out of tune?
There are several ways in which a steelpan may become out of tune (most commonly this is caused by playing the steelpan with excessive force and incorrect handling) and it is quite common that steelbands arrange to have their instruments tuned once or twice a year. A tuner must have great skill in their work to manage to make the notes sound both good and at the correct pitch. Much of the tuning work is performed using hammers.
What is PanArt steel?
A Swiss steelpan manufacturer (PANArt) researched the field of fine-grain sheet steel and developed a deep-drawn raw form which was additionally hardened by nitriding. This process, and the new instruments they called pang, were presented at the International Conference of Steel pan and Science in Port-of-Spain in 2000.
How many notes does an oil drum have?
It may have almost all of the "skirt" (the cylindrical part of the oil drum) cut off and around 30 soprano-range notes. It may use the entire drum with only three bass notes per pan, in which case one person may play six such pans. The length of the skirt generally corresponds to the tessitura (high or low range) of the drum. The pans are usually either painted or chrome plated. Other processes such as nickel plating, powdercoating, or hardening can also be applied as a finish.
What is a pan made of?
The modern pan is a chromatically pitched percussion instrument made from 55 gallon industrial drums .
Where did the steel pan originate?
Steelpan (also known as steel pan, steel drum or pan, and sometimes, collectively with other musicians, as a steelband or orchestra) is a musical instrument originating from Trinidad and Tobago. Steelpan musicians are called pannists. The modern pan is a chromatically pitched percussion instrument made from 55 gallon industrial drums .
